Floor 6
by ZefronsAngel
Summary: Gabriella Montez is desperately searching for someone to share an apartment with during her freshman year of college. What happens when she comes across Troy Bolton's newspaper ad for a roommate?
1. A Pact

**_Floor 6_**

...

**Okay guys, so this is my new story on my new account. No, I am not abandoning Win Some, Lose Some; I am still working on editing the first draft. It's just that it's a very intricate story that will take a while to fix up. So in the meantime, I'm starting this new fic, which I hope you'll all enjoy.**

**Please note that this story takes place in a college based setting. I have gotten many complaints before about the level of swearing I've used in some of my other stories so I just want to let you know now that if you don't like that type of thing, click the exit button now. As a college student myself, I know how people this age act and I know what goes on in schools. Trust me, I'm only a first semester freshman and I've already seen students sneaking beer into the cafeteria and came across couples on the verge of having sex in the halls. In one instance I even found wrapped condom packages (yes, condoms) on a cafeteria table. Not to even get started on the level of swearing that goes on. So that being said, there will be mature themes. If you don't believe or keep insisting that college students are all innocent human beings, then you must either be a) under the age of 14, or b) living under a rock. Bottom line is, there will be mature themes. Don't like, don't read. Now without further comment, I present you with ****_Floor 6_****.**

...

As their hair turns grey and wrinkles sink into their faces, many couples begin to look back upon the blissful years of young love and tell the story of how they met their spouse, whether it be to friends, grandchildren, or even the familiar cashier at the supermarket. Most of them reconcile how they became acquainted at the town church, the community picnic, or the high school dance and go on to narrate their first date, which usually would take place at either a cozy homestyle restaurant or the showing of a romantic film.

The first kiss is another part of the tale. Most kisses are claimed to be had under a blossoming cherry tree or by a clear, rippling lake in the midst of summer's glow, with a faultless proposal following only a few short months after. A princess-style wedding comes next, leading into the beginning of many happy years shared as husband and wife.

But for one couple, these whimsical scenarios don't hold true. They met because of a simple twenty-four words posted in a simple newspaper by a simple student, and the rest is not to be told at the present. This is the story of Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez. It is rather queer to some, heartwarming to others, and plain garbage to still a third division. But it's all there is to tell, so thus we will begin.

...

_Wanted: Roommate between the ages of 18-25 to share rent in Akron apartment. Must not smoke or have pets. If interested, call Troy Bolton at xxx-xxx-xxxx._

Eighteen-year-old Gabriella Montez ran her fingers through her dark curls as she read and reread the ad that lay before her chocolate eyes. An incoming freshman at Malone University, she'd been searching for a place to stay for the past three months, only to be met with failure. She'd originally planned to stay with her aunt during her time at school, but that had fallen through when her aunt's company moved her to a new work location in Massachusetts, leaving Gabriella to have to turn to Plan B.

"Did you find anything, Gabi?" asked a young brunette who nearly mirrored Gabriella's image. Her name was Catherine and she, at the age of twenty-three, was the oldest of the Montez children.

"I actually did, but I doubt if I'll respond to it." Gabriella shrugged.

"Why?" Catherine wondered.

Gabriella chewed on her lip. "It's a guy."

"So? I roomed with a guy my senior year of college."

"Yeah, but you knew the dude. He was a friend of yours. There's a difference between staying with a guy you know and staying with a guy you never met in your life."

"True. But I'd still say it would be worth a shot. I mean, you could always arrange to meet him beforehand and see how he is before you make any long-term agreements."

"I'll think about it. I mean, I guess I could use it as a last resort if I don't find anything better in the meantime." Grabbing a pair of scissors, Gabriella carefully cut around the ad so she could put it aside for future reference.

"What's going on? Did Gabriella find a roommate?" questioned sixteen-year-old Alexander Montez, who was better known to the family as just 'Alex.' He shared the same dark hair and brown eyes as his sisters; however, while they were petite in size, he was tall and well-built.

"Kind of," Gabriella replied. "I'll have to think about whether or not I wanna take the offer, though."

"Why? What's holding you back?" Alex sat down across from his youngest sister and dug into the plate of waffles that was waiting for him.

"Well..." Gabriella debated whether or not she should tell Alex that her potential roommate was a guy. She loved her brother and all, but sometimes he could be a real jerk about things like that. But in the end, she didn't have time to choose, for Catherine blurted the news out for her.

"It's a guy. Gabi isn't sure if she wants to room with a guy or not."

"If you do, just remember to have him buy condoms. I'm too young to be an uncle." Alex laughed.

Mentally slapping her sister for spilling the beans, Gabriella suppressed a groan. "It won't be like that, Alex. If it even happens. I mean, I'm sure there will be other, better offers before I have to make up my mind."

"School starts in three weeks," Alex prompted.

"Holy shit. I didn't realize it was that close already." Gabriella let her face fall into her palm. If school was in three weeks, that made it two weeks before she'd have to make the drive from Dayton to Akron to settle in, which in turn left only a week for a more appealing offer to come._ Fuck my life_, she cursed to herself.

"Like I said, make sure you use condoms," tormented Alex.

"Shut up, you ass."

...

A week turned it's familiar cycle and no more roommate ads showed up, save one from a fifty-year-old man searching for a romantic partner to share a home with. To Gabriella's dismay, she was left with little to do but call the guy who had posted the request she'd saved for the worst case scenario, which she had now arrived at.

_Fuck everything_, Gabriella said silently as she took her phone from her purse and dialed the number that had been given in the ad.

"Hello?" came the voice of a young man. He sounded groggy, as if he had just woken up.

"Hey, is this Troy Bolton?" she asked. Her heart was beginning to pound as nerves embraced her body.

"Yes, this is Troy. May I ask who's calling?"

"Gabriella Montez. I saw your ad for a roommate in the paper last week and was wondering if I could get more details on that. If you don't mind possibly sharing a place with a girl, that is."

"No, I'm pretty much at the bottom line now. At this point I'd even take a camel," he laughed.

"Same here." She giggled. "So anyway, how big is the apartment and how much is the rent?"

"It's a studio apartment, so there's a combination bedroom and living room, then a kitchen and a bathroom. As for the rent, the monthly fee is five-hundred, so that would make it two-hundred-fifty for each of us."

"And it's a studio? As in...no privacy?" She sighed. She'd be somewhat comfortable if she could have her own room, but now that that idea was thrown aside, she was beginning to wonder if she should just switch to online classes and continue living with her family. That is, until she remembered that first of all, she had registered for a biology lab, and secondly, she'd lose some of the money she had down on her classes if she decided to rearrange everything.

"Not outside of the bathroom there won't be. But I swear, I won't be looking to see you naked. I'm not that type of guy. All I want is someone to share my apartment with me so I can cut my rent in half."

"Are you a student?"

"Yes. I'm going into my junior year at the University of Akron. You?"

"I'm gonna be a freshman at Malone University. I was going to stay with my aunt, but her company transferred her to Massachusetts. So now I'm kind of stuck on where to go."

"Well do you wanna room with me? I mean, it's entirely up to you. But the offer is definitely there."

Gabriella chewed on her lip as she weighed the pros and cons. If she accepted the deal, she'd have her housing problem resolved. And besides, Troy seemed like a decent enough guy; he was even a student like she was, which formed some common ground. On the other hand, she'd have to become more comfortable around him than she had ever had to get with any guy before - even Alex. He'd be seeing her frizzy hair and dark eyes when she woke up in the morning, her bra and panty sets while she folded laundry, her tampon boxes, and, most embarrassingly, there was sure to be a time or two he'd accidentally catch a glimpse of her in either lingerie or in a towel after a morning shower. On top of that, she'd most definitely be seeing him shirtless - perhaps even in boxers. "Are you sure?" she suddenly asked.

"Sure about what?" Troy pressed.

"That it won't be too uh...too awkward?"

"It'll only be awkward if we make it that way. Besides, with our schedules and friends and everything, we won't even be home all that much."

"True." She again considered, this time arriving at a stable conclusion. "Let's go for it."

"You wanna room with me, then?"

"Yes."

"Okay, then. How about we meet at the apartment next Tuesday so we can start settling in?"

"Sure. What's the address?"

He recited the apartment's address to her before double checking the proposed plans and saying good-bye.

Hanging up the phone, Gabriella plopped onto her bed and groaned. Now that the deal was set in stone, the reality of having to share an apartment with a guy was sinking into her head, and she couldn't exactly say she was looking forward to it.

It was going to be a long year.


	2. Moving Day

**_Floor 6_**

**_..._**

**Before I begin, I just want to thank you guys for the response you gave for the first chapter of the story. I definitely wasn't expecting that many people to subscribe, favorite, and review:) Second chapters always get my nerves up because I feel they have to continue to draw the reader into the plot without writing in too much action, so I hope you like it. On a side note, the first chapter was short, but I do tend to be a lengthy writer, so please bear with the long chapters from now on. Also, I'm posting the link to something similar to Troy and Gabi's loft in my profile so you can see what I mean if I didn't explain well in here. Anyhow, I hope you all have a merry Christmas and happy, safe holidays. Enjoy the chapter!**

**...**

Gabriella sighed as she stepped into her blue Hyundai and turned on the ignition, taking a sip of coffee before shifting the vehicle into drive. Today was the day - she was moving into her newly acquired apartment and meeting Troy, who would be her roommate for the entire academic year. She had talked to him only once since the initial conversation to work out who was bringing what furniture; but other than that, they hadn't spoken, which made her slightly skeptical of how the situation would play out.

As Gabriella swung out of the driveway, Greg Montez, her father, followed after in his pick-up truck, the back of which was loaded with her bed, a lounge chair, and the five boxes of clothes, dishes, bathroom accessories, and school supplies she had packed. Although most young women would feel awkward having their dad come with them to meet up with a guy, she was grateful for the opportunity. That way, she'd have an easy escape if something went wrong with Troy and she'd also have the boost of intimidating him by showing she had a protective father who wouldn't deal with any crap he might try to pull. Not that he was thinking about anything for sure, but no one ever knew.

The ride to Akron went smoothly; there was little traffic, making the total travel time only four hours. Upon arriving at the apartment building Troy had designated, butterflies flew into Gabriella's stomach.

"So here we are," Greg said, stepping out of his truck after he and his daughter found spaces beside each other to park. "Now where's this boy?"

As if on cue, a young man walked onto the scene, his disheveled sandy hair falling into his piercing blue eyes. His biceps, one of which was tattooed with a feather, bulged through the sleeves of his fitted t-shirt. "Are you Gabriella Montez?" he queried.

"Yes, I am," Gabriella replied. "But I usually go by Gabi. Or Brie."

"I like Brie. I think I'll stick with that. And as you probably have already guessed, I'm Troy Bolton." Troy smiled and held out his hand for Gabriella to shake. "And I'm assuming this is your father?" he asked, turning toward Greg.

"You got it. Call me Greg," Greg spoke, shaking Troy's hand.

_Damn he's hot, _Gabriella thought to herself. For the past week, she'd been imagining her roommate to be some fat, geeky nerd who wore skinny jeans and boldly framed glasses. _Maybe this won't be so bad after all._

"So we're apartment number fifteen on floor six," Troy went on. "I was just up there and it seems pretty nice. Wanna come see?"

"I was actually thinking of grabbing something to eat," Gabriella confessed. "I haven't really had anything all day."

"Me neither. I was too busy getting things ready to move into the new place. What do you say I order a pizza? That way we can eat while we work."

"Sure," she agreed.

Troy called in a pizza, then the little crew headed up to the apartment to see what could be done. It was a small place - as was expected - but nevertheless had a cozy glow. The walls were painted beige, with tinted white curtains framing the neat windows. The main room consisted of a loft, to which there was a modest set of stairs, and a set of three short shelves built into the opposite wall. In the kitchen, which was to the left of the open living space, there was a stove with an overhanging microwave, a simple refrigerator, and a small pantry. Along the brief hallway that branched between the two rooms there stood a linen closet that could be used for towels and cleaning supplies. At the end of the hall was the tiny bathroom, which consisted of a cramped shower, a toilet, and a sink with two tiny cabinets tucked away underneath.

"We can make this work, right?" Troy said optimistically once they were standing in the main room.

"I hope all my stuff can fit in here," Gabriella considered, her eyes darting around. "I brought dishes and a couple pots and pans, but now I'm not sure if there will be any place to put them."

"The cooking stuff can go under the stove," suggested Troy. "And sorry to say, but you might wanna have your dad take the dishes back home. I have paper plates, a few plastic bowls, and a set of utensils that can fit in the kitchen drawer, so it might be easier to go with that."

"Okay. Well what about the furniture arrangements?"

"I was thinking, if you're okay with it that is, that we could share the loft. It's pretty long, so we could fit two mattresses up there."

"No trying to get in my daughter's pants," interjected Greg.

"I'm not, sir. I would stay in my half of the loft and she'd stay in hers. It's only practical in this tiny place."

"I'll agree to that," Gabriella said.

"I'm warning you guys. Both of you," Greg enforced, his voice stern. Ever since Gabriella had been born, he'd taken the role of a bodyguard. Because she was the youngest girl, he was always more than careful to keep her safe. Needless to say, the idea of his baby rooming in a studio apartment with a hunky male terrified him, and caused thoughts he'd never dreamed of thinking to pop into his mind.

"I promise, Dad. We aren't gonna do anything," assured Gabriella with an eye roll. She loved her dad, but sometimes his overprotective nature frustrated her. He had been calm as could be when he'd discovered Catherine had lost her virginity to her boyfriend under the Montez roof at the age of twenty. Not to mention that he'd purchased condoms for Alex when he announced he had asked out a girl. However, when it came to Gabriella, she was always expected to be a figure of innocence. Greg had lectured her countless times about dressing modestly, saving herself for marriage, and finding a respectful man who wouldn't want her for her body alone. As bold and outspoken as she was, she had surprisingly managed to follow those standards throughout her life, with the exception of a few bikinis and a couple crop tops that showed off her neat belly piercing.

"I second that promise," Troy echoed. "Now how about we get the stuff in here?"

...

Six hours later, the set-up of the apartment was complete and Greg had regretfully said good-bye to his daughter and started his trip back home. The house was looking good; the loft was set up with the two double mattresses lying vertically from each other, each with its own set of sheets and covers. Beneath it was a couch with a fleece throw blanket draped over the back, a chair, and a coffee table in front of which a small TV was present. This area was what Troy and Gabriella had decided would be the quiet spot of the house. A large dresser stood along the remainder of the wall, half of which contained Gabriella's clothes and half of which held Troy's. A floor lamp stood by the door beside the two desks Troy and Gabriella had brought to do homework at. On the shelves above them were a variety of odds and ends, including trophies from Gabriella's high school debate team, Troy's signed Cincinnati Reds baseball, and a small selection of board games.

"So, what do you say we get to know each other?" Troy suggested.

"Okay. Let's go up to the loft. Not for anything raunchy of course; just because it seems comfy up there," Gabriella spoke.

"Alright."

Troy and Gabriella climbed the stairs to the loft and sat across from one another on Gabriella's bed. "So, the first thing I should probably warn you about is that I love to hug. So chances are, you'll get a hug from me every now and then for probably no real reason at all. But I'll try not to bother you too much."

"Oh, I don't mind," Troy insisted. "I know as a guy I shouldn't be admitting this, but I tend to hug, too. And you're gonna kind of be like a sister to me while we're here, so it shouldn't get too weird."

"Well if we're gonna be like siblings, please don't be as much of a teasing ass as my brother Alex is."

"I can't promise I won't joke around, but I also tend to have a protective side when it comes to girls. So how old is this brother?"

"Sixteen. I also have a twenty-three-year-old sister; her name's Catherine. What about you?"

"I just have an older brother named Michael. He's twenty-five."

Gabriella nodded in acknowledgement. "So...is there anything I need to know about you?"

"Well, like most guys I like sleeping in boxers. But I'll be willing to cover up if you're uncomfortable."

"I guess it'll be okay." She shrugged. "But I am somewhat uncomfortable with nudity, so please put on more if you're gonna be anywhere in the house besides your bed."

"I will," he promised. "It's just that I get so warm at night when it's summer weather like this." Akron tended to become hot and humid in the summertime and cold and snowy in winter. There was no long-term happy medium to the weather. "I'm originally from Vermont, so I'm not that used to the heat," he continued.

"I feel you. I have to confess that if I were a guy, I'd be sleeping in my underwear, too." She sighed. "Guys are such lucky bastards not having to be modest in this weather. But still-you gotta wear more if you leave the loft."

He smiled and shook his head. "You're funny, Brie. I think I'm gonna like rooming with you."

"Oh you do now, do you?" Raising her neatly shaped eyebrows, Gabriella slid over to sit beside Troy and nudge him with her elbow.

"Hey, stop that." His eyes glistening with playfulness, Troy gently knocked Gabriella onto the soft mattress and kneeled beside her face. "Wanna wrestle?"

"It's on."

For the next five minutes, the two roommates chased each other around the apartment, teasingly pushing and grabbing one another's arms. The war ended when Troy lifted a kicking Gabriella off the ground and carried her to the loft, where he tossed her onto her bed and tickled her sides.

"Troy! What the fuck? Stop," she giggled, shoving him over.

Giving up, Troy pulled himself into a sitting position and pulled his shirt off, revealing his sculpted chest and much-coveted six-pack.

"Hey, why are you undressing?"

"I'm sweating. Gonna go change, then maybe we can have some dinner and watch a movie."

"Well you better not be getting naked on _my _mattress." However, contrary to her words, she found her brown eyes peeled to his ripped body. _Damn. He works out._

"No way. I'm just taking my shirt off here." He tossed the sweaty shirt onto her face before descending the stairs to the loft.

"Eww, that's disgusting!" Throwing the shirt after him, Gabriella watched until he was locked in the bathroom, then climbed out of bed and found comfy clothes to change into when it was her turn.

"What do you think of _Superbad?_" Troy queried when he and Gabriella were both finished changing. He was in a pair of basketball shorts with a t-shirt while she was wearing a camisole and pajama shorts. She had also thrown her long hair into a messy bun and washed off her makeup.

"I love it." She plopped down onto the couch where Troy was already sitting. He was holding a plate of sandwiches he'd put together while she was changing.

"We are gonna get along just fine." Smiling, he turned on the TV and chose _Superbad_ from the list of Netflix films he could watch.

Troy and Gabriella ate their meal, then pulled the TV out into the open space in the room and climbed up onto the loft to finish watching the movie.

"This is fucking hilarious," Troy said as the scene came on where Fogell first changed his name to "McLovin."

"I know," giggled Gabriella. She and Troy were lying beside each other horizontally on Troy's bed.

"So how old are you?" he asked suddenly after a long pause.

"Eighteen. You?"

"Aww, you're a baby," he said, nudging her arm. "I'm almost twenty-one. Only a couple more months till I can go buy us some drinks."

"You could always make a fake ID and get it now like McLovin," she pointed out jokingly.

"I don't think so."

Troy and Gabriella watched the remainder of the movie in silence. Then, seeing as it was nearly ten o' clock, and feeling exhausted from the busy day they'd had, they turned out the lights and each crawled onto their own mattress to sleep.

"Hey Brie," Troy whispered.

"Hm?" groaned Gabriella.

"You comfy? Your bed's okay, the air conditioning is cool enough, you have enough covers..."

"Yeah, I'm fine." Letting out a yawn, she snuggled against the large pile of pillows she had. "Good-night, Troy."

"Night, Brie. See you in the morning."

...

The next morning, Gabriella awoke to find Troy's bed empty. Looking at her phone, she noticed that it was already nine-thirty. After an inward debate, she sat up with a groan and stretched, preparing herself for the day that stood before her.

"Hey, sleepyhead," Troy greeted as he stepped out of the kitchen with a bowl of cereal. He was in his boxers and a t-shirt; evidentially he had undressed underneath his covers after the lights were out and put the top back on out of respect for Gabriella before getting breakfast. "I was just about to eat. Come join me."

Gabriella fixed her hair tie, which had come loose from moving around in bed overnight, then climbed down from the loft and walked to the kitchen to pour her own cereal before claiming a vacant spot on the couch where Troy was. Since they didn't have room for a table, they had to find alternate places to eat. "You must wake up early," she remarked, grabbing the throw blanket from off the top of the seat and draping it over her lap. Despite the fact that it was a bearable temperature inside, she had a habit of using a blanket while relaxing, mainly for comfort above everything else.

"Yeah. I've always been a morning person," Troy confirmed. "I'm guessing you're not?"

"I hate mornings," moaned Gabriella, unconsciously leaning against Troy's shoulder as she ate her breakfast.

"Do I need to wrestle you again?" he questioned playfully.

"For what?"

"Bitching."

"No, but I could use a hug." Putting her bowl down, she wrapped her arms around Troy's waist and cuddled against his chest.

"Well good morning to you, too." He hugged her in return.

Pulling away, Gabriella grabbed the remote control and turned on the TV. "Let's find something to watch."

"I was actually gonna have a shower."

"Now? How can you voluntarily get ready now? I'm still fucking sleepy."

"What time do you normally start, then?"

"Um...like after lunch. And sometimes I hang out in my pajamas all day if I'm not doing anything important."

"You lazy bum." Troy nudged her arm.

"Shut the fuck up."

"Potty mouth."

"Jerk." She stuck her tongue out.

"Alright, I'm out of here. Behave your ass before I kick you out of this place." Smirking playfully, Troy stood up, took both his and Gabriella's empty bowls to the kitchen, then grabbed clean clothes and a towel and headed into the bathroom. Ten minutes later he emerged; his hair wet, face shaved, and teeth brushed. "Hey Brie, I was gonna go to the grocery store and grab some food for us so we can have something besides sandwiches and cereal. Want anything specific?"

"Uh...I like tacos, so if you wanna pick up a taco kit and some beef that'd be good. And also pasta," Gabriella replied. She was lying on the couch wrapped in her blanket while watching _Minute to Win It._

"Okay. What about hot dogs? Do you like that?"

"Yeah. Want some cash?"

"No, I got it for now. You can buy the food next week." He grabbed his wallet from on top of the dresser and stuck it in his back pocket.

"Mm-kay," mumbled Gabriella, stretching her legs and pulling herself into a sitting position.

"I'll be back," he said. "Should I knock before I come in or just open the door?"

"Knock, please. I might just change out here if I'm home alone, so unless you really wanna see your little sister's ass..." she joked.

"I'd better knock then," Troy resolved as he opened the door to exit. "See you soon."

...

"So what's your schedule?" Gabriella asked. She and Troy were sitting up in their loft eating a snack of cashews and raisins while chatting about whatever popped into their heads.

"I have a research and report class at nine in the morning and a communications course at eleven on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. For Tuesdays and Thursdays, I have literature at noon and an editing workshop at three. Then I work at the mini market just down the street from us Wednesdays from three to eight and Saturdays from nine to five." He was silent for a moment before adding, "I'm a journalism major, with a minor in literature. What about you?"

"I'm taking bio at eleven and psych at three on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Tuesdays and Thursdays I have my gen ed requirement of basic comp at ten, then at four I have an algebra class. Then I'm starting a job at a clothing boutique in the mall Saturdays and Sundays from ten to three." She tossed a nut into her mouth.

"Lots of technical stuff," observed Troy. "What's your major?"

"Psychology."

"Great; you can sort out people's brains." he chuckled.

"Like yours," she smirked.

"Oh, shut up." Troy poked Gabriella's side. "But anyway, getting back to our schedules - we probably won't be hanging out here together all too often."

"We should have a Friday movie night every week," she suggested. "We can take turns choosing a movie, then sit up here and watch it while eating junk."

"I like that," Troy agreed. After a pause he asked, "By the way, are there any boyfriends I should know about?"

"Nope. I'm completely single, no strings attached, so I won't be bringing anyone home to fuck if that's what you had in mind." She giggled.

"I didn't mean it that way." He shook his head. "I just was wondering so I'd know whether or not to expect frequent visitors."

"Well I might bring female friends here to hang out every now and then, but no guys. Except maybe my brother every now and then." Gabriella plopped down, her stomach against the bed covers and her feet swinging in the air. "What about you? Are you dating?"

"No. I'm too busy for a girlfriend. I'd like one, though. I'm the kind of guy that enjoys having a girl to take care of."

"Have you ever dated?"

"Yeah. I had a girlfriend my senior year of high school, but she wanted sex when I wasn't ready so we called it quits. Then I dated again in my freshman year of college, but the girl and I just weren't compatible. And you?"

"Does middle school dating count?"

"Not really." Troy laughed.

"Well then, I haven't dated. My dad is really protective over me, so I think that might have something to do with it. With my older sister he's not as bad, but seeing how I'm the youngest girl, I'm his baby."

"Oh, I see. Would you like a boyfriend, though?"

Gabriella shrugged. "I don't know. Relationships have their pros and cons. Sometimes I think it's better to just be friends, especially at this point in life." She considered for a minute before asking. "You weren't trying to hit on me there, were you?"

"Oh no, not at all," he promised sincerely. "I was just curious. I actually think it would be a bad idea for us to let anything happen."

"Same here. Nothing would be worse than fighting with your boyfriend, then realizing you gotta share a loft with him for months on end."

"Yeah," said Troy. "I agree; that would be pretty bad."

"So we're good then?"

"What do you mean?"

"We both think we shouldn't date each other?"

"Definitely. We'll just be friends." Troy held up his hand. "Deal?"

"Deal." Gabriella confirmed as she sat up to give him a high-five. "Now how about we play a board game?"


	3. Hot Guys and Drunken Friends

**_Floor 6_**

**_..._**

**Hey! Just a heads up that I altered the previous chapter of the story a bit and reposted it. It isn't much, but I switched Gabi's major from nursing to psychology. I thought it fit her personality better.**

**Merry Christmas!**

**_..._**

Gabriella's eyes cracked open as she felt Troy crawl across her mattress to escape the loft. _Shit, _she thought to herself, letting out a long groan and pulling the covers over her face. Upon hearing him laugh at her groggy action, she slapped his arm with a pillow. "Fucking hell. Shut up," she muttered.

"Well that was a friendly greeting." Troy put on a sarcastic smirk and laid down beside Gabriella.

"Whatever. What time is it, anyway?"

"Seven-thirty."

"Damn, that's early," murmured Gabriella, half to herself. In a more audible voice she declared, "Back to bed for me." Although it was the first day of the fall semester, it thankfully wasn't time for her to rise just yet. Feeling a sense of relaxation illuminate her body, she inattentively snuggled up to Troy as she began the journey back into slumber.

Chucking softly, Troy nudged her shoulder. "Hey, Brie."

Gabriella opened her eyes again and sat up; her hair was a mess, her eyelids were still droopy, she had no makeup on, and the left strap of her baby pink camisole was sliding off her tan shoulder. Troy seeing her in the morning was one of the things she had worried about prior to moving into the apartment, but during the week they'd been living together, she'd grown accustomed to the concept. "What?"

"I gotta get ready, then I'm leaving for school."

Gabriella yawned. "Do I get a hug before you go?"

"Sure." Troy wrapped his arms around Gabriella's waist. "Bye, sleepyhead. Good luck with your classes. I'll see you when I come home."

"What time will that be?" questioned Gabriella, returning the embrace with another yawn.

"Well, I'm hanging out with some of my buddies this evening, so I most likely won't be back till ten or eleven tonight. But we might cross paths every now and then depending on when I stop in here. Okay?"

"Mm-hm."

"Alright. Now you get some more rest." Smiling, Troy watched as Gabriella sank back into the pillows. Then, tucking the covers around her, he proceeded to descend the stairs and prepare for his day.

...

At exactly ten-fifty-two - eight minutes until the start of class - Gabriella swung into the cluttered parking lot of Malone University, her iPod blasting Katy Perry's _California Girls. _After seeking out a vacant space, she turned off the ignition, grabbed her things, and began the lengthy walk to the building in which her biology course was to be held.

"Good morning. Come get a syllabus, then go have a seat," said the professor as Gabriella snuck inside the already full classroom. She was a tall, thin, middle-aged woman with a dirty blonde ponytail and glasses. Her lips were set into a straight line and a series of subtle wrinkles marked the circles beneath her grey eyes.

Gabriella offered a "thank you" as she took the paper and settled into a seat. _It's the first day and I'm already coming to class late, _she mentally noted, realizing that she'd have to try to break the habit before it became a problem. Perhaps night classes would've been a better decision than morning ones.

The professor droned on. Looking about her, Gabriella saw that the overwhelming fraction of the students were either texting, doodling on their syllabus, or whispering to friends. Only the three sitting in the front row were paying any attention to what was being said.

After the course information was covered, the class was dismissed. Gabriella was already developing a dislike for the instructor. Her voice had been bland, her temper short, and her expectations frightening. She was glad to have gotten out early for the day.

"Hey."

Wheeling around, Gabriella was met with a tall young man. His brown hair was combed off his face, creating a neat frame for his prominent features. A set of bleached teeth showed between his lips and his thick biceps rippled beneath his t-shirt. She swore he could've passed as Troy's brother. "Hey."

"I noticed you sitting next to me and just thought I'd introduce myself. My name's Dave Carter." Dave held out his hand for Gabriella to shake.

"I'm Gabi Montez," Gabriella smiled, moving toward the wall so as not to clog the pathway.

"Are you a freshman?"

"Yes, I am. I have a feeling it's gonna be hell getting through this first semester."

"Same here." He shook his head.

Gabriella giggled. "So what's your major?"

"Bio. And yours?"

"Psychology."

"Nice."

The hustle in the halls interjected the conversation.

"Alright, well I'm gonna go head down to the cafe and grab a coffee," Gabriella announced. "It was nice meeting you." She began to walk away.

"Hold on a sec, Gabi."

She turned back to see Dave smiling at her. "Mind if I come along? I don't have any classes for another two hours."

"No, of course not. Let's go."

After sharing a chat in the campus' cafeteria, Gabriella exchanged phone numbers with Dave and wished him good luck on the rest of his day. She liked him. He was gentlemanly, yet had a fine sense of humor and a flirty edge - just the type of guy she was drawn to. Not to mention the fact that he had joined a fraternity, which gave him a bit of a rebellious twist.

Smiling to herself, she pulled out her phone and began to text her best friend, Sharpay Evans. Sharpay lived only a block from Gabriella's Dayton home, and had been her closest companion for the past ten years. Unfortunately for Gabriella, she had opted to take advantage of her family's wealthy status and study in the tropics of Honolulu for the next four years, rejecting all the scholarship offers from state universities. Gabriella missed her; however, she was coping with the situation. It wasn't difficult for her to make more acquaintances and fit into new crowds.

_I just met another hottie! He's a frat boy, too. xoxo. _Gabriella sent the message, then rose from her chair and headed off to find her next class. But her mind wasn't on psychology. Instead, all she could think of was the fact she was acquainted with two attractive men: one whom she lived with and the other whom she'd see nearly every day on campus. Her father would've had a fit by now if he were there.

Once class was let out, she resolved to return to the cafeteria for dinner. Troy wouldn't be home to eat with and she wanted to try socializing with some potential friends.

"Hey, could I sit here?" she queried, approaching a table where a girl was seated alone, jotting notes down onto a sheet of music.

"Sure," the girl said, offering a timid smile.

"I'm Gabi Montez," Gabriella introduced, sliding into the chair across from the girl. "And you?"

"Kelsi Neilson."

"Are you a music major?" Gabriella guessed, eyeing the sheet music.

Kelsi nodded.

"That sounds fun. I'm getting my degree in psychology."

Shifting around in her chair, Kelsi bit her lip and adjusted her thin glasses.

"Were you in bio this morning? You look familiar."

"Yeah. I'm taking that for my gen ed elective." Kelsi paused. "This is my first semester here."

"Mine, too."

As they ate their meals, Gabriella and Kelsi continued to talk. It was when they finished that Gabriella declared she was going to head home for the evening.

"Do you live off campus?" Kelsi, who had begun to open up more as her conversation with Gabriella progressed, inquired.

"Yup. I'm splitting the rent of a studio apartment with a friend of mine." Gabriella purposefully left out that she was rooming with a guy. She didn't need her new friend to get the wrong impression on the first day of classes.

"That sounds so nice. I'm stuck in the dorms." Shrugging, Kelsi swung her backpack over one shoulder. "Speaking of which, I'd better get back there now. I promised my roommate I'd hang out with her tonight."

"Yeah, I gotta go, too. Have fun, Kels. See you Wednesday!" With a friendly wave, she pulled her keys and phone from her purse. Once she had sent a quick text to Troy to let him know she'd be at the apartment, she stepped out the doors of the school and made her way to her car.

"Hey, Gabi!"

Gabriella looked to see Dave in the vehicle beside her, his window rolled down. "Hey! You leaving, too?"

"Not exactly. I'm just driving over to park at the frat house. My official initiation as a pledge is tonight."

"Well, good luck on that! I'm heading home for the day. See you tomorrow, maybe?"

"Maybe. I'll text you, okay?"

"Alright. See you, Dave."

"See you, Gabi." Dave backed out of the parking space and drove away.

...

It was midnight when Gabriella awoke to the jiggling of the doorknob. Leaning over the railing, she saw two dark figures outlined by the dim hallway light. One was Troy; she was certain of that, and the second was a staggering guy whose bushy afro nearly reached the top of the door frame.

"Troy?" Gabriella spoke, her voice groggy. "Who's this?"

Troy's companion slurred something inaudible as he slapped his friend's back and chuckled.

"It's my friend Chad," Troy answered hesitantly. "Long story short, last week he turned twenty-one and he's been binging on the tequila ever since. He can't go back to his dorm like this; his roommate is an ass." He shut the door with one hand while trying to support Chad with the other.

"So you bring him here?" Groaning, Gabriella wrapped her blanket snugly around her and sat up. She hadn't anticipated any guests, and didn't need a drunk stranger seeing her in her tiny pajama shorts and lacy camisole.

"Let me explain, Brie." Troy helped Chad over to the couch, then climbed halfway up the small staircase. "I tried calling you, but you didn't answer. I feel like a jerk barging in with him like this, but what else is there to do? He's my best buddy. I can't just leave him."

"You aren't drunk too, are you?" Gabriella asked bluntly.

"I didn't have a drop, I swear."

Hearing Chad mumble something else, Gabriella's glare rested on her roommate.

"I'm sorry." Troy's voice was barely a whisper as glanced at Chad to see him lying on the floor.

"I don't appreciate this shit, Troy," snapped Gabriella. "I'm half-dressed, I'm tired, and I gotta get up early tomorrow. I don't have time for these games. Get him out of here."

"He won't hurt you. He just needs to sleep it off. He'll be gone by six - before you even wake up - I promise."

"He'll be gone now."

Troy offered a final look of unspoken begging, only to be shot down by Gabriella's cold stare.

"_Now_," she hissed.

Heaving a sigh, Troy drew his keys from his pocket. "Fine," he resolved cooly. "I'll see if Zeke and Jason can take him in their dorm for a few hours. Good-night, Brie." He then returned to his drunk friend, who was already falling asleep. "Come on, Chad."

Chad chuckled and stood up on shaky legs. "Where we going, Bolton?"

"To Zeke and Jason's room. Now let's get out of here."

"Lock the door, Troy," Gabriella reminded.

"I will."

After watching Troy drag Chad through the doorway, Gabriella let out an exasperated sigh and nestled into her pillows. However, she couldn't seem to fall back asleep after her unexpected encounter. She'd thought he was a good, decent guy, but now she was having second opinions. She couldn't live with him if he was going to bring drunk strangers into the apartment without giving any sort of warning. And what if he himself came back tipsy one night?

Rolling over, Gabriella pulled her phone from beneath the mattress. She thought about texting Sharpay or Catherine to get their opinion on the situation, but in the end decided against it. Sharpay would just tell her to give Troy a piece of her mind and Catherine would tattle to her father, who would unleash his claws and make the problem bigger than it actually was.

_Damn you, Troy, _she said to herself as she tossed about. She tore the covers off and pulled them back up. She untied her messy hair from its ponytail and rearranged her pillows. Eventually, growing tired of the restless routine, she climbed out of bed and locked herself in the bathroom. Stripping her clothes off, she stepped into the shower and turned the water to the cool side. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she felt the refreshing flow wash away the beads of sweat that had collected on her forehead in the heat of the night, soothing her while she contemplated the night's event.

After a long soak, Gabriella shut off the water and walked out of the tiny cubicle. Wrapping up in a fluffy towel, she took her phone and checked her texts. They were empty. As she dressed again, she wondered if Troy had come back. She hoped he hadn't; she wasn't in the mood to deal with a potential fight - at least not at two o' clock in the morning.

To her relief, there was no sign of him when she emerged from the bathroom. Getting into bed, she pulled the covers up and closed her eyes, this time accomplishing her goal of sleep.

...

Gabriella shut off her alarm and stretched, yawning as she glanced about the room into which sunshine was streaming through the windows. By the looks of it, she was alone; she didn't see Troy on his side of the loft nor in the kitchen, she didn't hear the TV on, and there wasn't even the smallest peep coming from the bathroom. "Troy?" she called out.

No reply was heard.

Shrugging her shoulders, Gabriella dragged herself out of bed. Had Troy been out all night? Maybe he'd needed some time to cool off before discussing the situation. _It's probably better that way. I'm really not in the mood to deal with his shit, _she resolved.

Looking at her phone, she saw she had received a text from Dave. _Hey, wanna grab lunch after class? _

_Sure. I'll meet you in the cafeteria. _She sent the message, then debated whether or not to try getting in touch with Troy. Deciding against it, she threw her hair into a messy bun and picked out clothes to wear for the day, silently cursing her roommate for her lack of sleep.

That morning in school, Gabriella didn't even try to focus. She was too preoccupied with both the situation with Troy and her upcoming lunch date with Dave. When the class was done, she rushed to the bathroom to check her hair and makeup before walking to the cafeteria. Upon arriving, she noticed that her friend was already there.

"Hey," he greeted. He was leaning against a table with a lanyard displaying the name of his fraternity around his neck.

"Hey. How'd the initiation go?" Gabriella moved to stand beside him.

"It was kickass. I got this lanyard, a t-shirt, a hoodie, and a sweatband." He smiled. "I'm so glad I decided to join a frat instead of staying in a tiny dorm."

"That sounds nice." She fidgeted for a moment, thinking of a way to change the topic before the question about her housing came up. "So, are we gonna order some food?"

"We ain't getting this cafeteria crap." Dave took the lanyard from his neck. "We're going to that sandwich shop down the road."

"But I don't have money for that," she protested.

"Don't you worry your pretty little head about it. I'm paying." Flashing a smile, he took her hand. "Come on; let's go."

It wasn't long before Gabriella and Dave were seated in the sandwich shop, drinking cherry coke and sharing an Italian hoagie. Their fingers were locked together across the table, creating butterflies in Gabriella's stomach.

"So Gabi," Dave began. "There's a frat party this Saturday night and all us pledges are supposed to bring a date. Wanna go with me?"

Gabriella chewed on her lip. Her initial reaction was that she'd love to attend the party. But soon her superego kicked in: it was telling her to stay at home, work on the essay she'd been assigned, tidy up the apartment, and make a Skype call to her family.

"Do you want to?" Dave prompted.

"Of course," Gabriella blurted out, instantly feeling a twinge of guilt swell up inside of her. From what she'd heard from Catherine, fraternity parties were not friendly places for an innocent young woman such as she was. There would be underage drinking, girls prancing around half naked, and guys playing beer pong. Her father would be sorely disappointed if he discovered she was hanging out in that setting.

"Great. I'll pick you up at eight then. Just give me your address sometime before the end of the week."

"Will do." She forced a small giggle.

"You know, your laugh is cute."

"Oh, shut up, Dave."

For the remainder of the meal, Gabriella tried to ignore her conscious. But as she made her way to class late than afternoon, the regret came back. Maybe she shouldn't go to the party; maybe she should tell Dave she changed her mind. But then she reminded herself that she was an adult. She could go wherever she wanted, whenever she wanted. It wouldn't make a difference what her father thought of her behavior anymore. Hell, he didn't even need to know what she was up to.

Then she remembered Troy. _Troy. Oh shit, _she groaned inwardly. She had yet to hear from him since the previous night's incident. Was he that angry with her? What if he didn't want to room with her anymore? And that was only the surface. Being a straight-A, no-nonsense student, he would be just as disapproving as her father when she told him where she was going Saturday night.

By the time she was walking out to her car, her head was pounding and uneasiness shook her body. Whether it was the tension she anticipated between herself and Troy or the upcoming party she didn't know. But what she did know was that the next few months would be one big mess.


	4. Party

**_Floor 6_**

**_..._**

"Mmm, something smells good."

Gabriella turned from the pasta she was preparing to see Troy walking through the door. He was dressed in the now-wrinkled clothes he'd worn the day before and his usually bright eyes were a stony shade of grey. A dark shadow of scruff framed his mouth, giving him a rugged appearance.

"Need help with anything?" he offered nonchalantly.

"No."

"You sure?"

"I said no." She slammed a can of tomato sauce onto the counter.

"Okay, just checking. I'm gonna go have a quick shower and shave then."

Gabriella rolled her eyes as he left the kitchen. How could he stand there and pretend everything was fine? Did he not see that what he'd done was unacceptable? She considered not filling a plate for him - after all, _she _had bought the food supply for the week - but in the end came to the conclusion that holding meals hostage would only stir up more disagreements.

"Hey, Brie," Troy greeted, emerging from the bathroom.

"Your dinner's on the counter," answered Gabriella flatly as she carried her own plate to the couch to eat.

Drawing a deep breath, Troy grabbed his food and followed her.

She didn't utter a word; the only sounds that were audible in the room were the tiny clatterings of utensils and the slurping of noodles. Upon finishing the meal, the two roommates sat in an awkward silence, neither of them daring to look the other in the eye.

"We need to talk," Troy resolved.

"You think?" snapped Gabriella.

Sighing, Troy ran his fingers through his disheveled locks. "Look, I'm sorry. I know I was wrong to bring Chad in here last night."

"Then why did you?"

"He's been my best buddy since kindergarten. I couldn't dump him off in the dorms. His roommate would go tattle to the RA."

"Well maybe he should've thought about that before he went out and got wasted."

"Everyone makes mistakes, Brie. If you had a friend in Chad's position, you would've helped out, too."

"But I wouldn't be inconsiderate enough to bring a stranger in here at some sinful hour of the night when my roommate was trying to sleep." Crossing her arms over her chest, Gabriella pulled her feet onto the couch and turned toward Troy.

"It won't happen again. I promise."

"It better not."

"It won't," he repeated.

Chewing on her lip, Gabriella took the paper plates and carried them to the trash, tossing the silverware into the sink on her way.

"Oh, and also, Brie, I bought a little something for you on my way home tonight. It's to try to make up for my mistake." Troy held out a fuzzy purple teddy bear with a yellow ribbon tied around its neck as Gabriella rounded the corner to the main room.

"You seriously think a stuffed animal will fix this?" She eyed her roommate suspiciously.

"Hey, it's a step."

Struggling not to let herself smile, she took the bear from him and tucked it under her arm. "Thank you," she spoke evenly.

"I don't get a hug?" Moving closer to her, Troy held his arms out.

"You think you deserve one?"

"Come on, Brie. We gotta make up at some point or another."

"Fine." Gabriella set the bear down and embraced Troy around the waist, her head nestled against his firm chest. He smelled good; she guessed he'd put on cologne after his shower.

"So, I never asked you, how's school going?" he queried when the hug had been broken.

"Good. I met a girl named Kelsi and a guy named Dave. Yesterday Dave took me out to lunch and Saturday night I'm going to his frat party."

"A frat party? Oh Brie, are you sure?"

She groaned. "You're not my dad, Troy. If I wanna be this dude's date, I'll be his date. It's just for a few hours. Besides, he's a pledge; he won't be able to get too wild."

Rubbing the back of his neck, Troy forced a small smile. "Well, I hope you have fun then. Just don't smoke anything, say no to any drinks offered to you - even if the guys claim it's water - and keep your clothes on. In short, don't do anything you'll regret in the morning."

"Do I look like a slut to you?"

"No, but weed and alcohol have their ways. I don't want my little sister to come home crying because some jerk used her for a fuck buddy. I know what goes on at those parties."

"I'm not a baby."

"I know, but I can still care about you. You are my friend after all."

"I guess." She shrugged. "But I really don't like being treated like a child." Grabbing her bear, she ascended the stairs to the loft, where she pulled out a pair of pajamas from beneath her pillow. She then climbed back down and headed into the bathroom. "Hey, I'm gonna change now," she called before locking the door behind her. Once she'd gotten into her pajamas, she took her laptop to the loft to update her Facebook status and check her Twitter feed.

"Am I missing out on a party up here?" Smiling, Troy walked up to bed to see Gabriella with her teddy bear in her arms.

"Shut up." She slapped his arm, then wriggled beside him down the steps to put her computer on her desk. When she returned, she saw him propped up against her pillows. Nestling under the covers, she hugged her bear. "Go away, Troy."

"You going to sleep now?"

"Yeah." She yawned. "After last night, I think I deserve a couple extra hours of rest. Could you get the lights?"

"No, I need them on. I gotta do some reading for my lit class."

"Okay. Well at least back off my ass."

"I'm not touching your ass."

"It was a figure of speech, Mr. Literature Geek. You should know that. Now let me sleep."

"Mr. Literature Geek?"

"That's what you are. Now leave."

"Fine." Pretending to be angry, he hugged Gabriella, then turned to descend the stairs. "Good-night."

"Good-night." She tugged the covers up and gripped her bear tighter as she buried her face into a fluffy pillow, allowing her mind to drift into the unconscious.

...

"Wow, hottie." Dave grinned as Gabriella hurried across the parking lot and climbed into his car.

Giggling, Gabriella put her clutch purse down and pulled the seatbelt across her shoulder. "You like it?" She adjusted the glitter studded shawl that hung across her bare shoulders.

"Love it." His eyes traveled down her collarbone, resting on the ruffled pink bosom of her dress from which a teasing trace of cleavage was peeking. Resting his hand on her half exposed thigh, he pressed the gas pedal.

Gabriella's first instinct was to cringe; she wasn't accustomed to being caressed by a guy in that way. But she bit her lip, forcing herself to remain calm. After all, he _was_ her potential boyfriend.

The ride to the fraternity house was brief. Upon parking in the designated pledges' spot, Dave opened the door for Gabriella and took her hand in his. "Let's go meet my brothers," he said.

Struggling to keep herself balanced in her gold heels, she walked alongside him to the large brick building that lay ahead. Three Greek letters served as a doorway greeting, while strands of lights were strung around the windows and the front yard bushes.

"Hey, Dave!" A short, skinny boy who looked almost too young to be a college student walked up to the newly arrived couple, his dark, curly hair cut short and his large eyes tired. His almost shameful uniform of a tattered blue t-shirt and basketball shorts distinctly marked him as a newfound pledge.

"Hey, Craig!" Dave gave his friend a fist pound. "Too bad you gotta be on duty now."

"Yeah." Craig looked down at his clothing. "But hey, at midnight we'll switch gears and it'll be your job to man the beer coolers."

"I know." Dave took a deep breath. "By the way, this is my date Gabi. Gabi, this is my brother Craig."

"Nice to have you," Craig acknowledged with a nod. "Feel free to help yourself to the drinks in the house. We got vodka, hard lemonade, beer, and tequila."

"Maybe later," replied Gabriella.

"Yo, what up, Dave?" asked a young man as he clapped Dave on the back. "I see you brought a chick."

"Yup. Her name's Gabi."

"Nice. Well, just keep in mind that you're going on duty at midnight, so any fun you wanna have has to happen before then. Condoms are in the bedroom drawers if needed."

Dave laughed. "I don't know if I'll be going _that_ far tonight. But thanks, Brad." He laid a hand on the man's thick shoulder.

"No prob." Brad began to walk away. "And remember, if the beer ain't cold, you're in hot water!"

"I'll do my best!" Dave shouted back. He then turned to his date. "Let's go inside, Gabi."

As the pair stepped through the door, they were met with a dark, stuffy room in which booming music echoed off the graffiti-splattered walls. A disco ball was hung on the ceiling and photos of girls in revealing bikinis bordered the space. Fraternity boys were scattered about; some appeared to be slightly tipsy despite that the party was only just beginning to stir. Remembering what Troy had told her, Gabriella stuck close to Dave and shook her head each time a cup was offered to her.

As the area began to crowd with guys in partially unbuttoned shirts and girls wearing dresses that looked like they belonged on a Playboy model, Dave snuck an arm around Gabriella's small waist. "Wanna dance?"

"You bet." Her initial fear slowly disintegrating, she placed her hands on Dave's shoulders and allowed him to lead her around the room, Maroon 5's _Payphone _blasting in her ears.

"Good evening, everybody!" slurred Brad, stepping onto the platform situated beneath one of the windows. "Tonight is our welcome party, and we hope y'all are having a hell of a good time. The house will be open 'til three, so make yourselves at home, drink some beer, and let loose. Peace out, bitches!"

"Let's go out to the pool," Dave spoke when their round of dancing had ended. His breath was warm on Gabriella's ear. "It's getting too stuffy in here."

"The pool? But I didn't bring a swimsuit."

Dave shrugged. "Then just sit out on a chair." Grabbing a can of Budweiser, he pulled Gabriella put the back door, entering a scene of couples making out, girls stripping off their bikini tops out of drunkenness, and guys performing twerks while clothed in nothing more than boxers. The reeking odor of cigarette smoke hung heavy in the air.

"This is...alright," Gabriella managed to say, her knees growing weak as she coughed. Observing the smattering of topless girls, she crossed her arms over her chest as if she were afraid her own clothes would suddenly melt away.

"Better than being stuffed inside, right?"

She nodded.

"You want a drink?"

Biting her lip, Gabriella debated for a minute. On one hand, getting a little addled would desensitize her to her surroundings and make her look like a fun guest. After all, Dave hadn't invited her just to watch her be a bum. But in contrast, she was underage, and could, in the words of Troy, "end up doing something she'd regret in the morning."

"There's beer, tequila, hard lemonade, vodka..."

"I'll take some lemonade," she finally concluded. _Just one glass won't hurt me much._

"Okay, hun." Dave elbowed his way over to the drink table, returning a moment later with a red Solo cup in his hand - the universal symbol of alcohol.

"Thanks." Sipping the cold beverage, Gabriella made a face. It was sweet, yet gave off an unpleasant tang. A burning sensation rushed into her chest.

"You like it?"

"It's good," she lied.

"Hey, Dave." Craig's voice sounded through the noise. "Have you seen my girl?"

"I don't even know what she looks like," Dave laughed, sipping his beer.

"She's blonde, skinny, has big boobs..."

"I think you just described half the female guests here." He laughed again.

Shrugging, Craig turned around. "Well, I guess I'll just keep looking. Thanks anyway."

"No prob, bro."

Gabriella leaned against a table and quietly sipped her drink as Dave was surrounded by a group of pledges and their dates. She shielded her eyes at the sight of one who was standing topless, evidentially not phased by the guys getting an eyeful of her junk. Hearing her phone sound, she pulled it out of her purse to find she had received a text from Troy. _Hey, Brie. Just checking in. Let me know how it's going._

_It's okay. _She sent the reply.

"Why isn't your girl in a bikini?" Gabriella looked up to see one of the pledges presenting the question to Dave.

"She didn't bring one," Dave answered.

"Well, she could always skinny dip like Claudia." The statement was followed by laughter from within the group as everyone focused their attention on the bare-breasted girl.

Heat rushed into Gabriella's face. Pulling her shawl close to her body, she sank into a chair and mechanically drank more lemonade. While she did consider herself to be attractive, she preferred to flaunt her looks in clothes. The mere thought of exposing herself was humiliating.

"Hey, I'm back," Dave announced, sitting down beside Gabriella. Noticing her empty cup, he asked, "Do you want more to drink?"

"Not now." She shook her head.

"Okay. Well, I'm about to play beer pong. Wanna come cheer me on?"

"Sure." Shrugging, Gabriella followed Dave back inside, where Craig and two other pledges were gathered about a ping-pong table.

"I'll pour the beer," Dave offered, abandoning Gabriella at the sidelines. Soon, a triangle consisting of eight cups was arranged on either side of the net.

_This doesn't look like it'll end well, _she noted to herself.

"Gabi!"

Gabriella turned at the sound of her name to see a small, curly-haired girl standing beside her. "Kels? What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question." Kelsi folded her arms over her chest.

"I'm his date." Gabriella pointed to Dave, who was tossing a ball at the opposing team's beer glasses.

"You are?" Kelsi's mouth fell open.

"Is it that hard to believe?"

"Not really, it's just...weird. I'm only here because my roommate dragged me. She wanted to see what these parties were all about and didn't wanna go alone."

"Score one for me!" Dave cheered, grabbing one of the beers from the opposing team.

"Oh, I see." Gabriella nodded. "So how do you like it?"

Kelsi shook her head. "I honestly just wanna go back to my dorm, but I feel like I should find my roommate before I leave."

"Another hit for you!" Craig shouted, passing a beer to Dave.

"Oh gosh, is he really gonna drink more?" Gabriella mused. "He's gonna get wasted if he keeps this up."

"Was he supposed to take you home tonight?" guessed Kelsi.

"Yup."

"Well, if he's too out of it, you can stay in my dorm for the night."

"Thanks for offering, but I kind of need stuff at my place. I gotta go to work in the morning."

"Are you ready for a show?" Brad's drunken exclamation echoed above the rest of the noise as he appeared on the platform, a faux sword in his hand.

"What. The. Fuck." Gabriella's eyes widened.

"I need girls! Girls, girls, girls!" he hollered, his voice cracking.

"I'll be back, Kels." Pushing into the ping-pong circle, Gabriella tapped Dave's arm. "I think I should be heading home. Do you mind driving me?"

"Not now, babe," Dave slurred. "I'm in my happy zone."

She let out a groan. "Please?"

He muttered something incomprehensible. Clearly, he was in no condition to either process her request or make the drive back to her apartment.

Sighing, Gabriella turned back, only to be met by an unbalanced man holding out a cup. "Take it."

"No, thanks."

"Take it." The man laid a hand on her hip.

"Fuck off!" screeched Gabriella, grabbing the drink and elbowing a path through the crowd. Upon reaching the back door, she walked outside, where she dumped the beverage into the grass.

"You shouldn't be wasting that, girl," said a voice behind her.

Gabriella whipped around to see the same man she'd met inside. "I'm leaving," she spoke evenly.

"It's not over till you get your ass wasted."

"I'm going home," she repeated. Pushing him aside, she took off her heels and ran toward the gate that would lead out of the party. But before she could make it there, a tipsy girl wearing nothing save a tiny thong and a host of necklaces grabbed her arm. "Kevin...come get a room, babe..."

"I'm a damn _woman!_" Gabriella yelled, pulling herself free. As she did, she felt her bare heels skid through a puddle of alcohol. Before she knew it, she was falling headfirst into the beer-tainted pool. _Fuck. _

Paddling through the clusters of people, Gabriella made her way to the edge of the water and climbed back onto the pavement. She sighed with relief as she saw her phone was still intact and pressed to call Troy, hurrying out the gate while waiting for him to pick up.

"Hello?" His voice sounded groggy.

"Hey, it's Brie. I wanna come home."

"Why?"

"It's...it's hell. Everyone's drunk, there's naked girls, some wasted guy is running around with a plastic sword..."

"Where's Dave?"

"Playing beer pong. He's too drunk to drive. And on my way out, I fell into the pool cause some slut mistook me for her boyfriend and grabbed me. I'm...I'm just done with this shit."

"You? A guy?" He chuckled. "I don't believe it."

"Well, you better," she snapped. "I'm soaked, pissed, and I wanna go home and sleep."

"Okay, okay. I'll be there in fifteen."

"Alright. Thanks, Troy. See you."

"You, too. Bye."

"Bye." As she hung up, Gabriella looked at her soggy clothes. Her strapless dress had sunken down, showing off more cleavage than she'd ever intended. Cursing herself for choosing not to wear a bra, she tugged at the ruffles clinging to her small chest.

It seemed like an eternity until Troy arrived. When he finally pulled alongside the curb, Gabriella rushed into the passenger seat, her body shaking and her teeth chattering.

"Woah, Brie." His eyes were wide with astonishment, which she instantly knew came from noticing her lack of coverage.

"I know, I know; I'm a damn mess." She crossed her arms over her chest. Sometimes it really sucked to be female.

"You're freezing." Troy laid a hand on her shaking shoulder as he opened the glove compartment and pulled out a sweatshirt. "Here. Take my hoodie, Brie."

"Thanks." Pulling the article of clothing over her head, Gabriella leaned against the back of the seat. "Worst evening of my life," she muttered.

"Well, we're going home now." Troy stepped on the gas.

The ride to the apartment was silent. Once the two roommates had made it up to the sixth floor and into their little dwelling, Gabriella ran to the bathroom and peeled off her wet things. After a hot shower, she stopped the flow of the water and pulled the curtain open. _Shit, _she groaned to herself, realizing she'd forgotten to grab a towel. "Troy!"

"Yeah, Brie?"

"Can you get me a towel?"

"Okay." She heard him climb out of bed and open the linen closet.

"Close your eyes when you come in, though; I'm naked."

"Will do." He tried the doorknob. "It's locked."

"I'll get it." She walked across the tile floor, water droplets rolling off her bare skin. "Promise you're not peeking?"

"I swear."

Letting out a deep breath, Gabriella cracked the door, quickly snatched her towel, then shut it again to allow herself privacy for drying off. Upon finishing, she ran a comb through her curls before venturing out to the main room. "I'm sorry," she apologized.

"For what?" Troy questioned.

"Having to see me walk around like this." Clutching the top of her towel to ensure it wouldn't fall down, she blushed and walked over to her drawer.

"Oh, it's fine." His voice sounded distracted as his eyes gravitated toward her exposed shoulders.

Upon sensing his stare on her scantly covered body, Gabriella hurriedly collected clean panties, a camisole, and a pair of pajama shorts. After dressing in the bathroom, she ventured up to bed.

"You okay now?" checked Troy.

She nodded. "I'm never going to a damn frat party again as long as I live."

"I tried to warn you."

Rolling her eyes, she asked, "Why do you have to turn this into an 'I told you so' moment?"

"Because big brothers were made to annoy their little sisters."

"Shut up." Curling up underneath her blankets, Gabriella thought about her evening. She'd known the party would be crazy, but she had never guessed it'd be as crazy as it turned out. Her mind wandered to Dave. Was he okay? Had he gotten in trouble for getting drunk as a pledge?

"Brie?" Troy's groggy voice reached her ears.

"Hm?"

"You're bouncing the whole loft."

"I'm sorry. I just...I'm having trouble sleeping," she confessed.

"Oh."

The room grew quiet.

"Hey, Brie?" It was Troy again.

"What?"

"Sleep with me."

"What? Are you effing kidding me? I'm not gonna fuck you."

"No, no, no! That came out wrong. I legitimately just meant sleep."

"You need to start watching your word choice, Bolton." She grabbed her bear, along with a few pillows, and moved over to join him. "Wait, you aren't in boxers, are you?" she queried, pausing.

"I have a t-shirt on," he assured.

"Okay." She climbed under the covers and set up her pillows against the wall, being sure to allow space between herself and Troy.

"Hey, I don't bite."

"I never said you did."

"Then come cuddle."

"Why?"

"Because you had a rough night."

"I'm fine."

"You sure didn't sound fine on the phone."

"Well, I'm fine now." Gabriella buried her face in her bear.

"Brie..." He patted the space beside him and held out his arms.

Chewing her lip, she shifted her stack of pillows over toward him and laid down her head with a yawn. As she felt him envelope her, she snuggled into his chest, one hand on his shoulder and the other gripping her bear.

"Much better. Now have a nice rest, Brie."

She swore she felt his lips touch her forehead, but was too drowsy to think about it or even care. "Night," she muttered, inhaling the sweet aroma of cologne that met her nose.

Troy quickly fell into a slumber; however, Gabriella, despite being exhausted, was too ridden with worry to do the same. Dave could very well have picked up one of the sluts who had been by the pool and taken her to a room. Although he hadn't officially asked Gabriella to be his girlfriend, she still felt it could be deemed as cheating if he had done so. And what would he have to say in the morning? Would he be angry she'd abandoned the party? Would having a date that ran out on the festivities affect his status in the fraternity?

Her thoughts then drifted to Kelsi, whom she'd completely forgotten in her rush to escape. She sincerely hoped her friend had made it back to her dorm without being pressed to partake in unfavorable activities by the fraternity brothers. Letting out a groan, Gabriella struggled free from Troy's grasp and retuned to her own mattress to check her phone. It was already four o' clock. The party should've been over. Yet no news from neither Dave nor Kelsi had reached her.

"Mmm."

Hearing Troy stir, she crept back over to him and nestled against his strong body. She'd never admit so, but she was glad he'd convinced her to spend the night on his bed. Despite that she still worried about the potential consequences of the party, there were a few ounces of comfort to be gained from being close to him.

"Brie?" His eyes cracked open.

"I just needed to check my phone. Go back to sleep," she whispered, drawing up the covers.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine." She hugged her bear. "Good-night, Troy."

"Night, Brie."


	5. Accident

**_Floor 6_**

**_..._**

Gabriella tossed her backpack on top of her desk and shuffled into the kitchen, mentally celebrating the fact that it was Friday. Not only did that symbolize her survival of another school week, it also meant that most of the troubles - both real and imagined - of the fraternity party were over and done with.

As it turned out, Dave had been a sweetheart regarding the situation of Gabriella walking out on the festivities. He'd quickly reassured her that he understood where she was coming from and hadn't taken any offense from her decision. To make up for the sour time she'd had, he had offered to take her out for dinner and a movie after her Saturday shift at work was over.

Fortunately, Kelsi had been fine as well. She'd readily accepted Gabriella's apology for ditching her in the herd of drunk fraternity brothers and added that she hadn't blamed her for making an escape when she did. Parties such as that one weren't her style, either.

But then there was Troy. Ever since that night when they had shared his bed, he'd taken up the habit of expressing a side that Gabriella would rather not deal with - an almost _sexual _side. Several times over the week, she swore she'd seen his eyes on her chest. To add to that, just the previous day she had caught him with his hand in the crotch of his jeans, enjoying what looked to be a round of jerking off. She'd pretended she hadn't noticed, and he, too, had kept quiet, but it was obvious they both knew what had been going on.

"Hey, Brie."

Gabriella turned to see Troy standing behind her. "Hey. I didn't know you were home."

"Yeah. I was just in the bathroom." He scratched the back of his neck. "So...it's Friday. Are we spending the night together?"

"If you want." Shrugging, she pulled a clean glass from the dishwasher and ran water into it.

"You sound unsure. What's wrong?"

"It's just the stress of school and all that crap. Nothing to make a big deal over." She set her cup down.

"Oh. Well, how about we try to forget it for a while? You can go change and wash your face or whatever else you gotta do, and I'll get some sandwiches made and start a movie for us. Is _Ted _okay?"

She nodded as she bit her lip.

"Great. I'll go do that, then."

After selecting a camisole and a pair of comfortable shorts, Gabriella retreated to the bathroom. She first snatched a hair tie from the counter and secured her long, disheveled locks into a messy bun. When that task was complete, she began to unbutton the plaid blouse she'd worn that day, revealing a lacy push-up bra. Pausing, she considered whether or not to remove the newly exposed undergarment as well. She typically went bare-chested beneath her top at night, as it was more comfortable for sleeping, but her roommate's recent behavior was making her rethink the idea.

Sighing, she eventually unclasped the bra. Troy might be tempted, but he'd just need to control himself, for there was no way she'd properly sleep with wires holding up her breasts. As the piece of lingerie fell to the floor, she stood in front of the mirror, studying her naked chest. _Does he really actually _like _it? _she asked herself, cupping one of the soft mounds with her palm. Chewing her lip, she turned to the side. _Nah, maybe not. I have the chest of a ten-year-old. Wait, why am I even thinking about this? I'm kinda dating Dave...and Troy's my damn roommate. _

She bit her lip as she shifted around to again face her reflection, watching herself as she stripped off her denim shorts and panties. A blush settled over her face at the sight of her nude body. Ever since she'd hit puberty, she had avoided being naked, whether it be in front of others or when she was alone. The only times she took her clothes off were when she was changing or showering. It wasn't that she hated her body; in fact, she thought she was pretty hot with her tanned curves and flat tummy. The problem was that she'd been taught that by her protective father that nudity was a symbol of sex, and that sex was something shameful unless one was married. Despite her few rebellions in which she had gone out in revealing clothes, she'd never, _ever _allowed anyone, male or female, to see the bits a bikini covered.

Now, however, after catching Troy messing around in his pants, she was growing more curious about the matter, considering that the only preconceived knowledge she had was - as ridiculous as it sounds - that which was gained from watching Zac Efron's raunchy comedies. Allowing one of her hands to explore her chest, she placed the other over her crotch. She could already feel excited chills running through her as she noticed her rounded breasts turning into firm peaks. Smirking, she flicked her belly bar with one of her fingers, suddenly experiencing a thrill in the knowledge that she was naked. _Come on, snap out of it! _she told herself. _You're a virgin till marriage, don't start pulling crap now._ Shaking her head, she hurried back into her panties.

"Brie? Are you almost ready?"

Gabriella gasped as she spun around to see Troy standing in the doorway, her camisole in her hands. Freezing in shock, she felt his eyes rest on her breasts, undoubtedly sucking in the details with hunger.

"Holy shit!" His jaw dropped.

"Fuck you!" Gabriella finally screamed, quickly pulling the shirt over her head. She could feel the heat rising into her face. "Have you ever heard of knocking?"

"The door was cracked, Brie. I thought...I thought you were decent." He cursed under his breath as he looked down to see a prominent bulge in his shorts.

Growing even warmer, she mentally slapped herself. She mustn't have pulled the door closed all the way. _Nice going,_ _Gabi. Now he saw your boobs._

"I'm so sorry. Oh gosh...I was not expecting to see _that. _Holy shit."

"Well, do you mind leaving before you catch an eyeful of anything more?" she snapped.

"Of course, of course. Sorry, Brie." He backed out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

Gabriella quickly pulled on her pajama shorts, then sank into the corner. She couldn't believe he had just walked in there and seen her nearly naked - her panties being the only thing protecting her dignity. Hugging her legs to her body, she rested her chin on her knees, fighting back the urge to cry. Crying wasn't something she did; it was unacceptable in her eyes, as she believed that it wouldn't do anything except make her appear weak.

"Brie? You okay in there?"

She ignored the question.

"I'm so sorry, Brie. I really didn't mean to see you like that, and I definitely didn't mean to stare. It was just...surprising. But you really don't have anything to be embarrassed about. I-"

"Fuck off!" she screamed, throwing a used towel at the closed door.

Everything fell silent.

Sighing, Gabriella chewed on her lip. Nothing to be embarrassed about? She wasn't sure if he was meaning to poke fun at her small chest or trying to imply she was hot. Either way, it wasn't something she had any desire to hear. She dug her bare toes into the tiny bath mat that lay in front of her and blinked back the tears that again threatened to flow down her cheeks. _Don't cry. Don't cry, _she said silently, taking deep breaths.

Once she had collected herself, she put her bra on beneath her camisole, suddenly feeling too exposed without one. She then reluctantly emerged from hiding to see Troy sitting on the couch, his face just as bothered as hers was.

"I'm really sorry," he tried again. "I...I didn't know."

"Damn you, Troy." Grabbing her phone, she sent a brief text to Kelsi. _Hey, I really need to get out of the house. Mind if I come to your dorm for a while?_

_No, not at all. Maybe we can work on that bio project Dr. Sheldon gave us, _came the response.

_Sure:) _Grabbing her backpack, Gabriella slipped her feet into a pair of old flip-flops.

"You leaving?" Troy asked.

"Do you really expect me to stay here with a pervert? You crossed the flipping line, Bolton."

"It was an accident. I swear."

Rolling her eyes, Gabriella snatched her car keys and rushed out the door. She wasn't exactly sure who she was angry with. It had been her mistake for not fully closing the door, yet she felt Troy also bore some responsibility for assuming he could simply waltz into the room. Not to mention that he hadn't even been considerate enough to turn away as soon as he'd noticed she was naked.

As she climbed behind the wheel of her car, she saw that her roommate was running through the parking lot. Letting out a groan, she rolled down her window. "What the hell do you want?"

"I'm really sorry, Brie. I know you probably don't want anything to do with me, but I just wanted to let you know that whenever you're ready, I'll be happy to talk things through."

"What's there to talk about? The damage is already done."

"Look, I know it's embarrassing, but hey, if you live with someone, you're bound to see them naked sooner or later. We need to be mature about it and talk over how to handle it in the future if it happens again."

"Well, there's nothing _mature _about perving on your female roommate! I'm just...I thought you were better than this, but it's only been three lousy weeks and already you brought a drunk sicko into the house _and _walked in on me topless. What kind of jerk does that?"

"I'm sorry." Troy's look was pleading.

Rolling her eyes, Gabriella switched the car into drive. "Yeah, right. Well, I'm going to my friend's dorm for the night. Have fun watching the movie by yourself. And don't you dare eat all my chips."

He let out a small chuckle and shook his head. "Don't worry, your chips will be left untouched. Just promise you'll come back."

"I guess I'll have to." She shrugged. "Well, have a good night." Rolling up the window, she sped away, leaving Troy standing alone in the parking lot. She knew she would probably be considered borderline melodramatic, but she didn't care. She'd been humiliated and felt she deserved a bit of wiggle room in regards to her attitude.

The drive to Malone University's campus was silent. Upon parking in the lot designated for dorm residents and their guests, Gabriella stepped out of her car and walked to Kelsi's room. Knocking on the door, she waited for a response.

"Hey, Gabi!" Kelsi greeted, opening the door. "Come on in!"

"Hey!" Gabriella entered the dorm.

"This is my roommate Taylor," Kelsi introduced, gesturing toward the African-American girl who was sitting at one of the two desks. "Taylor, this is Gabi."

"Nice to meet you." Taylor smiled. "I don't think I've seen you around."

"Well, it's a big campus. It's not hard to miss me." Giggling, Gabriella plopped into a nearby chair.

"So, what's the problem?" asked Kelsi, sitting cross-legged on the floor beside her friend. "You never actually told me."

Gabriella took a deep breath. She wasn't quite ready to admit she roomed with a guy - especially one who was on the verge of being able to legally drink. "I just...I don't really wanna talk about it."

"Is it that bad?"

"Pretty much." She shrugged. "So, do you wanna work on bio?"

"Sure." Turning to Taylor, Kelsi asked, "We won't bother you, will we?"

"Oh, no. Not at all," came Taylor's response. "Just do your thing."

"Alright. So..." Kelsi grabbed a folder from her desk.

"Let's get started," Gabriella finished, opening up her backpack.

...

"Want me to give you anything?" Gabriella reached into her purse to pull out her wallet. She and Dave had just finished the dinner portion of their evening and were getting ready to leave the restaurant.

"No, hun." He shook his head. "I got it."

"Are you sure you don't even want me to leave the tip?"

"Positive. Don't worry about it." He rose from his seat after placing a crisp five-dollar bill on the table. "You ready?"

Nodding, she stood up and linked fingers with date, allowing him to lead her out to his car.

"So, is _That Awkward Moment _okay with you?" he asked, pulling on his seatbelt. "Or would you rather see something different?"

"No, no, no; it's fine. I've actually been wanting to watch that one."

"Great." Grabbing her small hand, he started the car.

Silence clouded the scene, making for a quiet ride. This was it. They were finally on their first official date - the first one she'd been on in all her life, nonetheless. Uncertainty worked its way into her nerves throughout the awkward drive. Could any sort of relationship actually work between them? What if he really did care about whether or not she liked to party and just acted as if he didn't in order to lead her on? He obviously enjoyed the thrill of alcohol and beer pong. Would he really be willing to give that up?

She shook her head slowly and cast a glance at him as they pulled into the parking lot. Chewing on her lip, she debated with herself as to whether or not she should bring up the topic of the disastrous party again. She didn't want to sound insecure, but she longed to hear his reassurance on the matter once more.

"Hey, Dave."

"Yeah?"

"Is it honestly cool with you that frat parties aren't really my thing?"

He shifted the vehicle into park and looked over at his date with a brimming smile. "Of course. I mean, there's plenty of other things we can do together." His eyes scanned the floor for a moment. "Like this..." Showing off a slight smile, he leaned over and captured her lips in a short, sweet kiss.

Taken by surprise, but not in the least angry, Gabriella closed her eyes, allowing her own mouth to mold in a fashion that matched his. Feeling his lips heating upon hers with their kiss - her first kiss _ever_ - her conflict with Troy, along with any uncertainties she still felt, was pushed out the window.

She nearly groaned when he pulled away. His face was still barely inches away, and his eyes captured hers with a look that made her feel like the only girl in the world. Reaching around her, he pulled a small box from the glove compartment, which was quickly deposited in the palm of her hand. She looked up at him, confusion written all over her delicate features. "Dave...what's this?"

He smirked. "What does it look like?"

"A box, duh. I know that." She rolled her eyes. "But what's it _for_?"

"For you, silly. Go ahead, open it." His invitation was backed by a gentle nudge.

Unable to contain her excitement, she flipped open the lid of the box, astonished at the sight that met her eyes. Nestled on a piece of black velvet bedding lay a silver chain with an charm that was as blue as the ocean attached to it. A smile crept onto her face as she ran her finger over the piece of jewelry. Lifting it from the box, she let it dangle in front of her face, the shiny material giving off a blissful glow. "This is too damn gorgeous," she breathed. "And too much." Placing the necklace back in its case, she handed it back to Dave. "You didn't have to buy me anything."

"But I wanted to."

"Why?" she asked, her eyes still on the gift that was now in her date's hand.

He let out a deep sigh. "Gabi, please look at me." A set of calloused fingers brushed her chin, tilting her head so that her brown eyes met his. "I know you're unsure about this. But I'm not. I like you...and I don't want to share you. This necklace, well, it's my way of asking you if we could maybe...uh...maybe be exclusive?"

Gabriella felt a glow rush into her cheeks as she bit down on her lip. This was not how she expected the night to go at all. Not that she minded, but the proposal seemed a bit sudden. This was their first official date, and already he wanted something more. She had no idea how to properly date, let alone be a girlfriend. And being _Dave's _girlfriend would really call for some high standards.

"You haven't answered me yet," he prompted with a crooked smile that only charmed Gabriella more. "So? Will you?"

"I just wasn't expecting this. I mean, it's our first real date. What if you-"

"What if I change my mind, you mean? Not gonna happen. I want you. And if I dare say so myself, I'd say that you want me too, pretty girl." He shoved the jewelry box back into her sweaty hand.

Gabriella froze. Suddenly, she felt lost. Where was her father when she needed him? It had always at this point - or even before - that she would go to him about the matter and he'd give her advice on how to handle the situation. But now she was all on her own; it was a curse in disguise. Letting out a sigh, she ran her fingers through her hair and struggled to control her racing mind. When she finally got herself together, she responded to Dave's comment by placing a quick peck onto his lips. "I want nothing more." She gave him the necklace and twisted around so that her back was facing him."Can you help me put this on?"

"Thank you," he murmured against her ear as he hooked the piece of jewelry beneath her long locks.

Putting on a smile, she turned to face him again. Her _boyfriend._ How amazing was it to be able to say that? Her eyes lit up as she studied his features. _Perfect. Absolutely perfect. And he's mine._ A sense of pride washed through her as all her doubts about the situation were discarded. Finally, after all those years of waiting, she had someone to call her own. Someone with whom she could cuddle. Someone whom she could kiss. Someone she could _love._

"So...we should probably get in there before the movie starts," Dave suggested, jabbing his thumb toward the building before them.

"Yeah, I guess we should," echoed Gabriella. She pulled on the handle to open her door.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Rushing out of the car, he sprinted over to the passenger side and helped his new girlfriend step out.

Giggling, she leaned against his arm and let out a contented sigh as he gently squeezed her waist. Her fingers flew to the charm around her neck, a symbol of her untrodden relationship. It was at that moment that she knew she was ready. Maybe it would take some getting used to, but she was up for the unwritten challenge of being someone's girl. And she could do it without the help of her father.


	6. A Blissful Evening

**_Floor 6_**

**_..._**

**I just wanted to thank you guys for the support you've given me so far for this story. I smile every time I see a new review, favorite, or follow. I'd like to especially thank my beta Bluebell140 for helping out. Also, I'm starting classes Wednesday so there probably won't be any more surprise updates. I should be running of my every other weekend schedule from now on. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

**...**

It was nearly midnight when Gabriella arrived home from her date. The evening had been worry-free and full of bliss - a form of paradise if you will. She still couldn't believe she actually had a boyfriend. A real _boyfriend! _The only thing that kept her from questioning whether or not she was in a dream was the charm that hung about her neck.

But now it was time to jump back to reality. Praying that her roommate was already asleep, she quietly unlocked the door and stepped gingerly into the apartment.

The coast was clear.

Gently shutting the door behind her, she tiptoed to the dresser and rummaged around for nightclothes in the dark of the room, not wanting to risk waking Troy by turning on a lamp. She hadn't talked to him since their little incident, and hoped to keep it that way for the time being. Once she found what she needed, she locked herself in the bathroom to change, emerging a short while later.

Tensely, she climbed the steps to the loft, afraid to make any sudden movements. At one point she thought she was losing her footing, but she soon regained balance and completed her brief journey, all without hearing a peep from Troy.

Mission accomplished.

Climbing beneath the covers, she looked at her phone to see that she'd received a text from Dave. _Hey, have a good sleep, babe. See you tomorrow. xxx._

Her face brimming with joy at his message, she replied with, _You, too. See ya. xxx. _Tucking the phone beneath her mattress for safe keeping, she nestled into her stack of pillows. The bear Troy had given her lay abandoned at the bottom of the bed.

"Mmm," came a groan from the other side of the loft.

_Dammit, he's waking up. _Closing her eyes, she pretended to be asleep.

"Brie?"

She remained silent. _Fuck off, Troy._

"Brie?" he repeated. She heard him sit up this time.

_I'm not here. I'm not here. _She sank further into the covers and froze. When she heard him lie back down, she breathed a sigh of relief. That had been a close call.

Quietness settled over the room. Gabriella slowly peeled the covers off her face, her eyes resting on the stream of moonlight that was shining through the curtains. She could predict right then that she wouldn't be sleeping well that night. It was practically impossible to do so knowing she'd be facing Troy in the morning.

Letting out a groan, she rolled onto her side, taking care not to bounce the loft for fear of her roommate waking up again. _This whole thing was a mistake, _she told herself. _A damn mistake._

...

"Morning, Brie," Troy greeted, walking out of the kitchen with a cup of coffee in his hand. "I made some eggs and bacon if you want any."

Shrugging, Gabriella silently picked out her clothes for the day and walked into the bathroom. After performing her daily ritual of a shower, hair styling, and makeup, she ventured out to the refrigerator.

"Brie, I made breakfast. There's enough left for you...you can probably reheat it if you're hungry."

She ignored him.

"Brie, I-"

"Shut the hell up!" she shouted, hurrying off into the main room with orange juice and a bowl of cereal.

"It was an accident, Brie. I'm telling you, it was nothing more than a pure accident. If you don't wanna hang out anymore, fine, but you at least have to talk to me." Troy slammed down his coffee mug.

"I don't _have _to do anything." Rolling her eyes, she shoved a spoonful of frosted flakes into her mouth.

"But you _should_," he rephrased. "I know it's awkward now, but it's only gonna get worse if there's no communication between us."

She didn't respond. It wasn't that she was still necessarily angry, she was simply mortified that the incident had happened. How was she supposed to live with and be friendly toward a guy who knew what her breasts looked like? Not to mention that he was probably either inwardly mocking their appearance or jerking off thinking about them - most likely the latter.

After finishing her breakfast, she placed her dishes in the sink and grabbed her purse, completely ignoring Troy's efforts to make conversation. It was time for her to go to work; she didn't have the time or energy to make amends, nor did she feel she was ready to. All she wanted to do was focus on getting through her shift so she could meet up with Dave again. Her _boyfriend. _The word still sounded foreign to her, but at the same time delightful. And that kiss! It had been pure heaven last night.

Shifting her car into drive, she fingered her necklace, which she had resolved to wear daily. She couldn't help but smile. If she wasn't the luckiest girl in the world, she couldn't say who was.

...

Butterflies fluttered through Gabriella's stomach as she took a deep breath and knocked on the door of Dave's fraternity house. The last time she'd been there hadn't been her best experience, but he had invited her to join the guys and their girlfriends for a simple dinner that evening - an offer she couldn't refuse.

"Hey, babe." The door swung open to reveal Dave standing there, a lopsided smile on his face. "Come on in."

Upon stepping into the poorly lit room, she was greeted with a friendly kiss. "Hey," she returned when he had finished the gesture.

"So...why don't we head to the dining room? I'll introduce you to everyone."

"Okay." She was a bit skeptical about meeting all the brothers, as the glimpse she'd already gotten hadn't been the most promising. However, she was willing to give them a second chance.

A chorus of welcomes met the pair as they joined the rest of the crew. _Damn, there's a lot of guys, _thought Gabriella, a streak of anxiety flashing through her.

"Alright, so you already know Brad, the president," Dave began. "And Craig."

"Good to have you back, Gabi," Craig said with a nod.

"Then we have Kevin, Colin, Seth, Zac, Ethan, Pete, Luke, Danny, Shawn, Leo, Andy, and the lazy ass Chris, who's better known to us as Scoonie." Smirking, Dave motioned toward a skinny man in hipster clothing. At first glance, he appeared to be older than the traditional college student, and gave off an uneasy vibe.

"Hey, chica." Scoonie waved at Gabriella.

"And then we have the girls," Dave went on, pointing at the group of females huddled in a small cluster beside the men. "The redhead is Jackie, the brunette is Vanessa...uh...the tall blonde in the pink top is Sarah...the short one is Ashley, the one next to her is Claudia..."

Gabriella instantly recognized Sarah as the one who had mistaken her for a man.

"...then the other brunette is Jasmine, the chunky one is Dara...the dirty blonde is Lily...the one hanging on Brad's arm is Louise..."

"...and the one with the big boobs is mine!" Scoonie shouted, grabbing a girl's arm. "Gabi, meet Sabra, AKA Fruitcake."

Gabriella stifled a giggle. Who the hell would nickname their girlfriend Fruitcake? Was the guy on crack or something?

"So, that's the bunch," Dave concluded, wrapping an arm around Gabriella's waist. "What do you think?"

"They're certainly...well...unique..." she remarked, her eyes darting about the room.

"Hey, is everyone hungry?" That was Brad.

The question was answered with eager nods and exclamations of, "It's about time!"

Within the next few minutes, five boxes of pizza, a large tray of wings, and a cooler full of beer and soda were dragged into the room. After being invited to dig in, the group mobbed the table, greedily snatching up what they wanted.

"You wanna sit in here or on the patio?" Dave asked Gabriella.

"The patio," Gabriella decided, not wanting to be crowded in by sluts in mini skirts and men who smelled like cigarette smoke.

After filling their plates with food, the pair headed out the back door and found a table at which to sit. It was nice out there - nothing like it had been during the party. The glowing sun hung low in the sky and a gentle breeze swept through the atmosphere, causing the peaceful water in the pool to ripple. Birds could be heard in the distance, their soft chirping a cheery accompaniment to the picturesque scene.

"Is the food good?" Dave questioned as they ate.

Gabriella nodded. "Very. I love pizza."

"Me, too." Smiling, he reached over and touched the charm that adorned her neck. "So, I see you're wearing your necklace again today."

A glow of color settled into her cheeks. "I like it."

"I'm glad to hear that." He caressed her hand with his thumb.

Finishing the last few bites of pizza, she leaned her cheek against his strong shoulder. "I'm so damn sleepy," she remarked.

"You should rest, then, hun." Placing a chaste kiss upon her lips, he ran his fingers through her hair, causing delightful shivers to crawl up her spine.

"Yo, Dave! What'cha doing out here?" called Ethan, stepping out of the house with Claudia on his arm.

"She likes quiet," Dave explained, motioning toward Gabriella.

"Oh. Sorry to hear that, buddy." Chuckling, Ethan gave Dave's arm a friendly punch.

"What's there to be sorry about? She's a nice girl whether she likes our ways or not."

It was then that Gabriella recalled Ethan as the one who had made the comment about her going skinny dipping at the party. What a jerk.

The door opened again. This time Jasmine emerged with Leo following at her heels. "Hey guys, Leo and I are going in the pool. If anyone wants to join, go ahead." She pulled her sundress off to reveal a tiny string bikini.

Biting her lip, Gabriella lifted her head and leaned back against her chair. She'd always considered herself attractive. But after seeing the other girls with their waist-length hair, prominent chests, and designer clothes, she was starting to rethink her opinion. Maybe she really wasn't as pretty as she'd made herself out to be.

"What's on your mind, babe?" Dave's voice broke into her thoughts.

"Nothing," she lied with a shrug. "I just get like this when I'm tired."

"I'm guessing you're not ready to go back to school tomorrow, then?"

"Hell no."

"Yeah. Me, neither. That bio class sucks ass. Do you know when the withdraw deadline is?"

"Sadly, I don't."

"I'll have to look into that." He sighed. "Ugh, I hate that crap."

"I'm not sure if it's the actual subject I can't stand, or the damn teacher. She's so...I don't know what the word is..."

"Bitchy?"

"Yeah, pretty much. All she does is give lectures on how we're lazy, then expects us to learn stuff. Maybe if she'd actually get her effing notes out and teach, we'd be doing better."

"Totally. She's just terrible." He paused. "Hey, wanna go to the pledges' room and put a movie in?"

"You mean...you mean a...a _bedroom?_" Her voice was nearly a whisper.

"Yeah."

"I don't know..." A blush settled over her face as she chewed her lip. "I'm not that type of girl..." Her fingers reached up to touch the charm on her necklace.

"Oh, babe, not for anything like _that._ I just thought that maybe you'd prefer a cuddle on the couch and a movie to staying out here with everyone."

A sense of déjà vu enveloped Gabriella. She remembered Troy telling her something similar to that when he had invited her to spend the night in his bed. Pushing that thought away, she cast a timid smile at her boyfriend. "In that case, yes, I'd love to."

"Alright, then." Dave stood up and held out his hand, which she readily took. "Let's go."

The pledges' room proved to resemble a prison more closely than it did a bedroom. Along both walls, there were bunk beds - four of them in total. Gabriella quickly took notice that the tops of two of the bunks were filled with junk, while the bottom of one was serving as a bookshelf for the guys' textbooks. A torn couch was located beneath the small window, which sat in the center of the two walls, and a vintage TV was placed on a rickety table in front of it. The beige carpet was stained with beer while condom packets littered the tiny bits of floor that weren't covered by odds and ends.

"So, what do you think?" asked Dave. "I know it's not the best, but..."

"How many pledges are there?" She wondered, choosing not to comment on the state of the room.

"Five. There's me, Ethan, Craig, Danny, and Colin."

She nodded in acknowledgement.

"As we move up the ranks, we'll get better housing," he went on to explain. "For example, Brad, the president, and Zac, the vice president, have the largest of the bedrooms. The middle class brothers have the next biggest spaces and are arranged three or four to a room. We pledges just get this puny closet for now."

Giggling, she leaned against his arm. "Living here is better than a dorm, though."

"True." He walked over to one of the boxes and took out a stack of movies. Tossing them onto the floor, he said, "Choose one."

Her eyes scanned the scattered DVDs. "I pick...hm...I wanna watch _21 Jump Street._"

"Okay, then. Go ahead and gave a seat. I'll set it up."

Gabriella complied. Once Dave joined her, she cuddled into his side, her head falling onto his shoulder. She closed her eyes as she felt his fingers sort through her loose curls.

"Hey, babe." He reached under her chin, turning her face toward his.

"Hm?"

"Nothing." He shrugged. "I just wanted to see your pretty eyes."

"You really think my eyes are pretty?"

"Of course. I wouldn't be saying it if it weren't true, now would I?"

A smile beamed upon her face. Reaching up, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, her lips only inches away from his.

"You wanna be kissed, don't you?"

"It would be nice." She giggled.

"Ask and you shall receive."

"Alrighty. Can I have a kiss?"

"You certainly can." He pressed his mouth to hers.

Satisfied with the affection, she settled back against his arm, her small hands clutching his bicep. Yawning, she focused her attention on the movie, momentarily content with life.


End file.
